


Moving Forward

by zankiefanatic



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bipolar Ian, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:35:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zankiefanatic/pseuds/zankiefanatic
Summary: Ian is healthy. Mickey is finally out of the Milkovich house of horrors. They have their own place. They have jobs and do adulting. But there's a piece missing. Yevgeny. They're finally ready to have him in their lives. The question is will Svetlana let him.





	

"Mick I think you're blowing this a little out of proportion." Ian sighed.  

Mickey was standing in front of their bed, where Ian sat cross-legged, with every shirt he owned lied out before them. He'd tried on ten of them and was still trying to make a choice between three.  

"Excuse me? Have you met Svetlana? I even breathe wrong she'll be yanking the kid away from me."  

After Ian's stint in the hospital Svetlana wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, or Mickey and had left with Yevgeny. She said Mickey and Ian were toxic, that he couldn't care for Yevgeny the way he needed. Despite what she said, they'd worked together to better themselves. They moved out of Terry's house. Ian was working at a gym, and Mickey got a job at a tattoo parlor. They weren't college grads or anything, but they were making it work. They had a shitty little shoebox apartment and were doing okay. Mickey had made the decision that he was gonna take care of Ian, and he'd done just that by making sure he made enough money for rent and Ian's meds each month. And now, with everything stable around them, he felt ready to acknowledge what had been taken away from him and what he ultimately hadn't wanted to begin with.  

Ian finally moved from his spot grabbing the navy blue button up from their bed and pressing it gingerly to Mickey's chest.  

"This makes your eyes pop, makes you look a little more like the teddy bear you really are. You've changed alright? You're not the guy from three years ago and they're not the same either. This'll work out; I promise."  

Mickey exhaled softly fighting a smile as Ian leaned in to kiss him square on the mouth. It was enough to keep him calm for the rest of the morning.  

He combed his hair, brushed his teeth, and practiced a smile that wouldn't terrify a four year old. Ian buttoned his shirt for him, stopping to do that kiss thing again a couple times. By the time he was ready to go see his son; it was time for Ian to go to work. As hard as it had been to get Svetlana to let Mickey see Yev, he wasn't able to sell her on a meeting with Ian. This time would be just Mickey and Yev.  

"Don't forget to give him the present. And—And take pictures for me alright? And just tell him, that I love him and I miss him and all that stuff. Oh and call me, after it's all done."  

Mickey grinned at the rambling redhead before leaning on the tips of his toes to kiss him.  

"I'll record the whole thing. You won't miss a second. But I actually gotta go for that to happen."  

"Well then what are you still doing here? Go! Go!"  

*** 

 

They met at the park. He couldn't recognize Yev, seeing as how the last time they'd seen each other he fit in the palm of his hand, but Svet hadn't changed a bit. Except maybe the outfit, she'd traded the hand whore clothes for mom jeans and a t-shirt. That was surprising to say the least. But the most shocking thing was the boy crawling around on her lap with a juice box. His hair was a dark auburn, and it seemed to be getting darker by the minute. His eyes on the other hand couldn't have been lighter, a familiar bright blue. And that smile, Jesus he was convinced he got the smile from Ian it was so big. The kid was downright gorgeous and Mickey felt no shame about it. He'd gotten the best pieces of all of them it seemed.  

"Hey." He murmured stepping awkwardly up to the two at their park bench.  

Svetlana fixed him with a hesitant look, but thankfully didn't pull Yev any farther away.  

"Yevgeny this is your father. You call him Mickey, if you are uncomfortable. You owe him nothing."  

"Wow thanks for the intense introduction there, Svet."  

The boy peered curiously up at him from beneath his mother's hair. He was shy, that much was clear. Mickey didn't want him to feel any more uncomfortable, so he sat as far away on the bench as possible.  

"I like your t-shirt there. You like the ninja turtles?"  

He nodded, strands of dark hair falling in his face.  

"My favorite's Michelangelo, what about you?"  

His eye's brightened slightly. "That's my favorite too. He's funny."  

"He is isn't he? I heard you like him, so I brought you some stuff. It doesn't make up for anything but . . . I don't know here ya go."  

He handed him the bag that Ian had bought filled with stuff they'd spent an entire afternoon picking out. Just like any kid his age, Yevgeny was over thrown with joy at his Michelangelo stuffed toy and his mutant ninja turtles pajamas. The candy was just another plus, although Svetlana didn't seem too excited. She did take the rest of the stuff to their shitty car and gave them a minute alone, which he was internally grateful for. Yevgeny who seemed shy and reserved wasn't afraid to ask questions, and he didn't hesitate to get the answers his mom refused to give him.  

"Mama says you're my dad."  

Mickey with his knees bouncing anxiously and fingers resting in his lap, nodded.  

"I am. Me and your mama, we made you."  

"Then how come you ran away and didn't wanna be with us?"  

Fearless kid. He had a feeling he got that from Svet, seeing as how Mickey was scared shitless.  

"Well, we come from a pretty shit—I mean bad neighborhood and my dad was a bad man." He paused trying to find a way to explain being raped and forcing to marry a hand whore to a four year old. Yea, not likely. " You know how the ninja turtles fight and beat the bad guys all the time?"  

Yevgeny nodded, squeezing at his plush Michelangelo.  

"Well my dad was like one of them. But I wasn't strong enough to fight him, like the turtles. So I did some bad things too, so he wouldn't hurt me. And your mom just wanted to protect you. When I would do these bad things, they weren't things a kid should be around, so she took you away from me and from Ian, because we weren't good enough to help raise you. But we've been doing much better lately. We've cleaned up our act, and we . . . we miss you kid. You're pretty great to have around."  

"Who's Ean?"  

"She didn't tell you about him, huh?"  

Mickey pulled out his phone and found a picture of him, Ian and Yev, that he'd been suckered into before everything had gone bad.  

"That's you. That's me. And that's Ian." He explained pointing out each on the phone. "He loved you very much when you were a baby. Still does."  

Yev peered up at him. "If you love me so much how comes you never wanted me before? Mama's always there for me."  

"Your mom didn't want either of us around, cause she thought you might get hurt. Ian was sick for a little while and we had to get him some medicine. But we're better now, which I get after three years might be hard to believe. You don't have to believe me right away, just maybe hang out with me some. Let me try to make it up to you?"  

Yevgeny played with his toy for a little while no longer meeting Mickey's gaze. By the time Svetlana came back Mickey was convinced he'd ruined everything and that Ian was going to kill him for not getting their son back. Nice going Mickey.  

But then he crawled back into Svet's lap to whisper in her ear. She nodded softly and then the boy was climbing down and tugging softly at Mickey's arm.  

"You wanna play on the swings with me?" 

And it was in that moment that Mickey had a rare feeling that only occurred for one other person in his life. That ice cold lump in his chest that other people called a heart got really warm, and it felt like there was a tightness in his throat. He blamed Ian for forcing him to show any emotion other than anger and subdued irritation. 

They played for what felt like hours. Yev wouldn't let Mickey push him at first so they swung side by side, and Mickey knew if Svetlana hadn't been sitting back and watching them she would've made a joke about his ability to fit on said swing. But he did tell him about the daycare he went to. How he had friends and how he loved to draw. And when Mickey told him about what he did for a living and how he got to draw pictures and make them with ink, Yev practically beamed. He looked so much like Ian in those moments that it shocked him every time. They took selfies and talked about the new ninja turtles movie. For a Mickey look alike he was much more open and willing to talk about anything. The kid was a riot, really. When the sun beat down their skin got red in the same places, and Mickey wondered what it would be like to take him home and slather him in sun screen before bed. He wanted to make him dinner, and then get angry when Ian took over so the food would be actually edible. He wanted movie nights and to take him to the zoo (he'd never been). It was like suddenly he saw all the things he could have with Yevgeny and he wanted them; he really, really did. 

"Yevgeny you say goodbye now, we have to go."  

And the fact that kid looked even remotely unhappy to say goodbye made Mickey's tiny heart swell. He went out of bounds lifting the kid up and hugging him tight. He was beautiful. Mickey couldn't believe he'd gone so long without him.  

"Can I see him again?" Mickey asked.  

Svetlana peered at her son, whose arms had naturally wound around his father's neck. All she'd ever wanted was for him to have some balls and take care of his son, that didn't mean she was gonna let him skate by.  

"There is much to talk about. You call and we talk, then I'll decide."  

He nodded. "And you'll think about Ian? He missed him almost more than I did. He's stable now, has been for two and a half years. He's taking care of himself."  

"Orange boy takes baby, how can I trust him?"  

"You can bring the little guy over. See for yourself, and you'll be there to protect him." He suggested. "We're trying Svet."  

She glared at him for a little bit, but eventually found nothing to complain about. Svetlana took Yevgeny from his arms slipping him effortlessly onto her hip. 

"You and orange boy cook dinner and we come. You fuck this up, or he hurts baby and I slit throats with butter knife and give shitty apartment new paint job."  

Same ole Svetlana.  

He went home that night to Ian pacing back and forth in front of their door nails bitten to nubs and face creased with worry.  

"You're back." He sighed. "How was it? Was he nice to you? Did Svet say anything?"  

"Relax, Freckles everything was fine. Just sit down alright?"  

Mickey tells him everything. About his smile and his hands and his hair and his laugh. He tells him about daycare, how his favorite season is summer cause Svetlana takes him to the pool, how happy he is despite the shit show he came out of. When he tells him that he might get to see him sooner than either of them thought possible Ian looks like he might actually cry.  

"You mean?"  

"She said she wants to see what it's like around here, but I could tell she was surprised I wasn't fucking everything up the moment I got there, so I know you can win her over."  

Ian smiled. "I miss him so much, Mick. I knew you'd be great."  

They hug for a minute as the weight of their future with Yevgeny settles. The only reason Mickey even remotely thought he could handle Yev was because he had Ian, because Ian told him he could. Back when everything was fucked and he couldn't stand to look at the kid, it was Ian who held him. Ian warmed his bottles up; Ian showed Svetlana how to dress him in the winter when the heat was out. Ian was a dad to Yevgeny way before Mickey was, and without him, he couldn't imagine being anything else but a complete fuck up. Not just with Yev either. So, it only seemed fair that he got to be a part of the kid's life too.  

*** 

 

There are a lot of outfits that Mickey quite liked on Ian. When he wore a pair of ratty sweats and a tank top to work out in, or even the gold booty shorts that had taken more than a little getting used to. But to find him armed with an apron and oven mitts was a whole new level of getting familiar with, and he didn't really know how to feel with it.  

"The fuck are you doing?" He chuckled diving into their fridge for a beer.  

"Svetlana and Yev are coming in five hours. Dinner has to be perfect, so I'm trying to muddle through the foggy manic part of my brain to remember one of Svet's old recipes."  

"You know the kid's four right? This isn't one of those food shows you watch; he'll be fine with chicken nuggets and a bottle of barbeque."  

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Mickey, we have to make a good impression; I need to make a good impression. If Svetlana thinks I'm even remotely crazy, I'll never see him again."  

He continued to work vigorously at the stove, moving from pot to pot and checking the oven every few minutes. It gave Mickey whiplash just looking at him. They'd gone through a lot in the last three years but nothing was tougher than getting Ian to see that he wasn't destined to be some lunatic off the rails, that his disorder wasn't a curse and he was okay. He struggled with it every day. Thankfully, he just didn't have to struggle with it alone.  

Mickey stepped up behind him arms snaking around Ian to stop the nervous energy for just a minute.  

Ian whimpered softly. "Mick, I gotta cook."  

"You gotta relax quicksilver. We're gonna get him back, man. He's gonna love you; I know it."  

"I know I just . . . want things to go perfect. I've got so much to apologize for." 

Mickey pressed his forehead into the space of Ian's shoulder blades, trying to give him all the comfort in the world.  

"You were sick, Ian."  

"And he was a baby. I messed that up. Fuck, I almost messed us up."  

It was the reminiscing on the past that never did anyone ever good. The way Mickey saw it, if he only focused on the past he'd still be in the closet living under his father's thumb until he got arrested or killed. Mickey wasn't interested in the past.  

"And I forgave you. He will too."  

Ian reached for Mickey's hand on his waist giving it a firm squeeze.  

"Yea, okay."  

Mickey smiled sheepishly. "If you need a blow job to relax a little bit, I know a guy."  

Ian laughed wild and boisterous. "You know a guy huh?"  

"Mhm." He murmured lips taking over against Ian's neck.  

"Mickey, dinner."  

"Tryin' to get a little appetizer here Gallagher."  

"A little?!"  

Ian somehow manages not burning all the food no matter how hard Mickey seems to try for the contrary. He cleans the entire apartment, even forces Mickey to vacuum (A true travesty). But, when they're all done the house doesn't look like a crack house so they both take that for a win. While waiting for Svetlana and Yevgeny they set the table with the only four plates they own so far that aren't of the plastic variety. With everything set to go Mickey pushes Ian towards the bathroom to take his meds before the kid gets there. The doorbell rings before he has the chance to do anything else.  

"Mickey!" Yevgeny grins once the door is out of the way.  

Mickey beams right at him, while Svetlana just snorts.  

"He is small boy, very impressionable. Unfortunately."  

He ignores her completely. "Hey little man! Want a beer?"  

Yev peers up at him in confusion and he expertly doges Svet's fists. 

"I'm kidding! Come in."  

It's a shitty apartment, but it's what they can afford, so Mickey doesn't bother showing them around much. He simply, parks them at the shitty dinner table, which gives Ian time to appear from the bathroom.  

"Mick I—"  

Yev and him lock eyes and it's like a piece of Ian that's been missing is finally restored. He quickly smiles warm and sweet at the little boy. Ignoring everything else he sits in the seat right across from Yev and reaches his arms out across the table not reaching for anything.  

"Hi Yevgeny."  

"Hi." The boy said shyly.  

His smiled widened. "I'm Ian. I—It's really nice to see you. Are you hungry?" 

He nodded quickly arms tightening around the toy Mickey and Ian bought him.  

"Okay . . . Yea, okay."  

Mickey can tell how hard it is for Ian to pull himself away from Yevgeny. They bring the food over together, and he tries to give him one of those bullshit reassuring smiles Ian's always going on about but based off how his hands were shaking carrying each dish, it was useless.  

Ian stood at the head of the table nervously as they all stared at the food. Yevgeny didn't look too excited and Svetlana, who he'd really been banking on, just stared on unimpressed. Apparently Yevgeny had been raised pretty well, because he didn't say anything, but Ian could tell he hated it, and it broke his heart. All the reassuring Mickey had done to make him believe that he could survive the night crumbled, and he wondered if he could make it another second let alone through an entire dinner. His heart was beating a thousand miles and a minute and he felt like maybe Svetlana was right, maybe he couldn't do it. Maybe Yevgeny shouldn't be around him.  

Mickey had no idea what the fuck he was eating, but Ian looked two seconds away from falling apart so he followed his Southside mentality of never passing up a meal when it was put in front of you and dug in. The fog of his mania, and maybe just the unfamiliarity of cooking a foreign dish period, lead to the dish not turning out properly and basically looking like mush on the plate. The silence in the room was deafening and Mickey was terrified of Ian beating himself up over some stupid dinner.  

"So uh . . . there's a spare room, across from ours. He could stay sometimes. Maybe on the weekends or if you're working." Mickey shrugged.  

Damn Gallagher for making him the reasonable one.  

Svetlana swiped her fork through the goop and let it fall unimpressively onto her plate. Ian sagged lower in his seat, and Mickey sighed knowing Svetlana was gonna put them through the ringer.  

"How can I leave baby with two fuckheads who cannot cook? He will starve." She sneered.  

"Svet I—" Ian tried 

"You hurt Yevgeny. You take him away from me and you put him in danger. And then you come back and you hurt husband and you do not care, you show no remorse. Why should I forgive you? What proof do you have that you will not fly off handle tomorrow and be crazy again!"  

"Hey!" Mickey snapped fist landing roughly on the table. "Don't call him crazy, alright? He was fuckin sick. He's not crazy, there's nothing wrong with 'em; he's fucking fine."  

Yevgeny watched on as the two begin to yell at each other voices growing louder and louder, curse words flying. Ian peered over at him and watched the confusion and fear of a child that's never seen his parents argue before. And he realizes that it's all his fault. This tug and pull, this block in the road that their facing is all because of him. And he just can't do that to Yevgeny. Because he truly, fully loves that kid to death.  

He smiles at him and stands up, which effectively cuts off the arguing as Mickey's eyes focus on him. Ian walked over to Yevgeny and just slid his fingers through his hair reaching down to kiss and hug him. Before Svetlana can object he already pulled away, his body feeling saggy and heavy with the weight of a dinner that had barely started.  

"Don't fight. He doesn't need to see you fight. Just let Mickey be with him. He loves him and he needs him in his life. Whatever way just . . . make it work okay?"  

"Ian…"  

"It's okay Mick, really." He lied turning to kneel next to Yevgeny again. "It was really nice to see you Yev. I hope you and your dad have fun. I'm sure you will; he's pretty awesome."  

Yevgeny nods shyly, arms choking around his stuffed turtle, and Ian smiles once more.  

"I'll let you guys have some privacy." Ian murmured already heading for their room.  

Mickey finally broke his silence. "Ian, c'mon man, you know you can't have those pills on an empty stomach."  

Ian turned back and reached for his plate, shooting Mickey the fakest smile he's ever seen and a kiss to the temple before he disappeared.  

So much for a family reunited.  

Ian spends a lot of time in their room shoving horrible food into his mouth and staring blankly at the television. In his mind, it's all his fault, and he completely understands why Svetlana didn't want Yevgeny to be near him. Despite the true progress that Ian had made with his disorder, he still very much was in the beginning stages of coming to terms with everything. Some days he felt on top of the world, and some days he wondered why he bothered at all. It wasn't too difficult to make out what kind of day it was.  

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Mickey and Svetlana talk. They put on a cartoon for Yev, he orders a pizza, and he sits with the woman he used to loathe and talks to her. He tells her everything Ian wants to do with Yev. How he knows so much about kids and how great he could be with him. He reminds her of the better times, when Ian would help Svetlana and change his diaper, feed him and bathe him. He works endlessly to get her to see that Ian's not bad, that he never could be. He even explains a little bit of the disorder, what kind of meds he's on and what they do.  

They come to an agreement. Ian can't be alone with Yevgeny, at least for now. But, they can spend time with him. They'll start with a couple of days during the week. Until Yevgeny's comfortable. And then later, he can stay the night until they work up to weekends. But everything is at Yev's pace, and everything is only if he's comfortable with it. No drinking when he's around. No smoking, and no anal, which Mickey just thinks is unfair, but he'll deal.  

When the pizza got there Yev was happy again. He still seemed confused by the whole ordeal with Ian, but he was only four. Mickey leaves Svetlana with him to explain things, while he goes in search of his self-sacrificing boyfriend. 

"You hungry still? I ordered pizza." Mickey murmured. 

Ian chucked dryly. "My food that bad, Mick?"  

"Ah, c'mon. I got you a meat lovers. I know how you love your meat."  

Ian truly cackles at that one, before seeming to remember he doesn't get to be a part of Yev's life.  

"Just come with me, alright?"  

Ian sighed but eventually got up hoping he could guilt trip Mickey into some innocent cuddling. That's when he found Yev and Svetlana on the couch digging into pizza and watching a movie.  

"I'm confused…"  

Svetlana rolled her eyes as Mickey handed him a paper plate filled with grease, cheese, and meat.  

"Just sit down."  

He and Mickey joined Yev on the couch and they all watched The Lego Movie. It wasn't some perfectly planned night with fine china and a four course meal. But he had his family. He had the people who made him feel whole and intact. He had everything that he needed in that room. And he wouldn't give it up for anything else in the world. Family really is everything.  

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am fully aware that I have gone off the deep end. The problem is that I don't really think I can help? College is like my entire life and any free time I have is like me sleeping? lol I'm still writing. I'm still trying. But my whole post once a week thing is just not realistic. If that means no one wants to read anymore I understand and I truly apologize, but this is where I'm at. I'll update as often as I can I promise though!!!!
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!!!


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